How to choose and buy a rose
When buying a rose, there are many factors we have to consider before selecting the correct rose for your garden. We should consider color, type, climate, planting location, and they soil structure. All these factors are discussed to assist you in making the correct decision before you purchase or order your rose. It’s always a good idea to start to understand the requirements early in the summer. This gives you plenty of time to see what best suits your need.
It’s better to avoid making a final choice from a rose grower’s catalog, because, the pictures look great but often the colors are not always true; this also applies to roses exhibited at flower shows, which take place before the normal flowering season, because the roses are produced in a greenhouse environment. It should also be remembered that roses growing in nursery fields are around one year old and do not always manifest their ultimate characteristics.
Before making a decision, it’s best to see roses growing under garden conditions in a friend’s yard, public parks, demonstration gardens or the display grounds of the National and International rose test gardens. Always go to a reputable nursery, because they can be relied upon. Although bargains can sometimes be found, avoid cheap lines unless you are an expert. When buying you must see that the roses have several sturdy shoots emanating from at or near the union and at least three major roots and that they are free from pests, diseases, and weeds.
Container-grown and pre-packed roses can be bought at your local nursery. They are a little more expensive than bare-root roses. Although the choice of varieties is rather restricted, they are valuable for out-of-season planting. Container-grown roses are particularly useful for replacing dead roses in an old rose bed.
